Making a statement is the determining factor in separating oneself from the crowd. This year we have a tie for the award. The winners of the Statement Award goes to Kazzie, Musa Major and Dani Devastation.
Kazzie is a Hip-Hop artist from Newark, NJ and his statement comes from his release of the song, Keep Your Head up featuring 40rty. In Newark, NJ youth have been getting killed and though the loss of life is always said, more youth were killed during a vigil for the fallen members of the community. One person killed was Jayla Green. Jayla was a student at Shabazz High School and her death during the sadness in the community sparked a youthful, young face in the NJ Hip-Hop community to use his gift to bring awareness not only to the lost but for the need for love and change in the community. #JusticeforJayla has not been lost as many people have faced the loss of children and loved ones to violence in this world and we give this award to Kazzie for making use of the voice and talent he was given to show the world that Hip-Hop is twerking, #hotgirlsummer , violence, sex and drug use. He shows that Hip-Hop celebrates our lives and honors the loved ones we lose in life through our beats rhymes and love for life.
Musa Major also gets a part of this award for putting out weekly freestyles addressing the issues of society, love, faith and strength in the inner city community. With freestyles about loving women of color and telling them he apologizes where other do not to acknowledge the negative energy given by the lack of love and attention to women in society, he aids in the healing process that has been needed for so long. His freestyle about respect and being a queen to the Blueface song #Thotiana is a call for women to know their value and to know they are to be protected and loved against the misogyny of manhood defined by the hate of people of color in mainstream media and the racism of Western Culture in general.
Dani Devastation has done the same using her ability to use visuals and rhymes to address Donald Trump America's issues with deportation, police brutality, separation of families and immigration. Though she may not be a signed artist Dani Devastation is bar for bar the equivalent or better than more than many in the industry and along with Musa Major they both use social media not only to keep their bars on point but to deliver the message to the masses on phones, in streams and video feeds. The revolution is not televised only it is streamed live in real time verbally and visually.
Follow all 3 artist on Instagram: Kazzie @KazzieStoner , Musa Major @Moosa_Major , and Dani Devastation @Danidevastation_inyamouf
Keep your Head Up Video Kazzie Featuring 40rty: https://youtu.be/TVdshBYJ-V4